Mark A. Harben, 54, of Benton, IL, died at 8:05 a.m. Saturday, June 19, 2010 in Rantoul, IL.
Mr. Harben was born on July 21, 1955 in Benton, IL, the son of Donald Jack Harben and Lodean (Rhine) Lemons. He married the former Becky Harvey on December 7, 1974 and she survives.
Mark loved coaching. He began his coaching career in 1980 coaching softball and football. He had previously worked as a coal miner, fireman, and teacher's aide. He loved to fish and spend time with his grandchildren, and was a member of Emmaus Road Baptist Church, Ewing, IL.
Surviving relatives include his wife, Becky Harben, Benton, IL, three daughters, Niki Jones and husband Jeremy, Benton, IL, Jamie Wilson and husband Travis, Cadiz, KY, Marci Tarlton and husband Jeff, Marion, IL, five grandchildren, Carly and Brant Wilson, both of Cadiz, KY, Drew and Sarah Jones, both of Benton, IL, and Abram Tarlton, Marion, IL, his mother, Lodean Lemons and husband Dick, Benton, IL, a sister, Jackie Willis and husband John, Benton, IL, his mother-in-law, Lucille Harvey, Benton, IL, and several nieces and nephews.
Mr. Harben was preceded in death by his father.
Visitation will be from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Monday, June 21, 2010 at the Benton Civic Center, Benton, IL. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Tuesday at the Benton Civic Center with Rev. Marty Ellsworth officiating. Burial will be in the Masonic and Odd Fellows Cemetery, Benton, IL. Hobbs-Johnson Funeral Home, Benton, IL is in charge of arrangements.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Emmaus Road Baptist Church Building Fund, and will be accepted at the civic center.
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Benton Evening News Article:
Just hours before his death, Benton assistant coach Mark Harben was on the computer looking up defensive formations for the upcoming season.
"He was finding ways to make our kids better," said Jeremy Clodfelder, head coach of the Benton Rangers football team. "He was very, very dedicated to our program.
"Mark was in the weight room every single day. He loved the kids, he loved the game and he was always looking for ways to make us better," Clodfelder said. "He was a Benton Ranger. He had played football when he was in high school. He took a lot of pride in this program."
Harben, 54, passed away in his hotel room Saturday morning in Rantoul — where he and members of the Benton coaching staff and team were participating in the Rangers' annual football camp.
Harben's obituary can be found on page 5 of today's edition.
"We had started football camp at ‘Camp Rantoul' the day before, and we were really, really getting after it," said Clodfelder, noting that players and coaches had also toured Memorial Stadium at the University of Illinois.
After coaches learned of Harben's death, football players were removed from their hotel rooms and taken to a conference room, where Clodfelder delivered the news.
"There's no manual for this — nothing that prepares you for something like this. The kids didn't have a clue what had happened. I'm sure some of them thought they might be in trouble," Clodfelder said. "It was hard to break that news to them. They were shocked, obviously, as much as the coaches were.
"These are 14- to 17- and 18-year-old young men, and for many of them, this is the first time they have ever dealt with their own mortality."
Clodfelder said the coaching staff originally let the players decide whether to remain at camp.
"Our kids chose to stay at the camp," he said, "but then we decided we were going to get a chartered bus and we were going home."
The coach praised the Peoria Charter company, as well as members of the coaching staff and the Benton Consolidated High School administration.
"It was unbelievable: The bus company had a bus there within an hour," Clodfelder said. "The other coaches at camp were unbelievable, and the administration was 100-percent supportive through this whole process."
Character coach Bob Pankey and school board president Mark Minor were among those who spoke to the Rangers when they arrived at Tabor Field Saturday afternoon, Clodfelder said.
Harben began his coaching career in 1980, coaching softball and football, and had served as an assistant football coach at BCHS for the past several years. He had previously worked as a coal miner, fireman and teacher's aide.
He and Mike Reed served as coaches of the Benton Rangerettes softball team earlier this decade; prior to that, Harben had been a volunteer assistant coach.
Former pitcher Stephanie (Genisio) Stayton remembers Harben as someone who was "always there."
"He never missed a game," said Stayton, who graduated from BCHS in 1999 and earned a scholarship to play softball for Shawnee Community College. "I saw him recently at the park for a high school game — he was always there. He was really a devoted person.
"He would offer constructive criticism; he was there to get that potential out of all players. He was there on Sundays, for open gym, on weekends, early mornings — he would come in and work with us at whatever time we said," Stayton said.
What meant most to her, however, was that Harben attended her signing with Shawnee.
"He wasn't even officially my coach, but he told me he wouldn't have missed it for the world," Stayton said. "He was my No. 1 coach ... I can't say enough good things about him."
Harben's three daughters — Niki, Jamie and Marci — also played softball.
"His daughters — he talked about them all the time with me. And his wife and his grandkids," Clodfelder said. "His wife, Becky, is a tremendously strong person."
The coach said he is knows "the grieving process is going to continue" for Harben's family and friends, along with the Benton football players and coaching staff.
"We have the visitation on Monday and the funeral on Tuesday, and then we will resume our workouts on Wednesday," he said. "I want the kids to know that it's going to be OK to grieve, it's OK to cry. They've not had a lot of time, yet, to grieve."
He said he also expects to use Harben's hard work and dedication as inspiration for the Benton players.
"At the end of the day, Mark Harben would want us to use this as a rallying point," Clodfelder said. "In my faith, in knowing Mark for the past couple of years, I know he would want this to bring us closer as a football team, a football family. And I will use 6-19 (June 19, the date of Harben's death) as a rally cry.
"As a team, we will have times of adversity, but if we rally around what happened on June 19 ... we got through that, and there is nothing about this game of football that we won't be able to get through."
Mr. Harben was born on July 21, 1955 in Benton, IL, the son of Donald Jack Harben and Lodean (Rhine) Lemons. He married the former Becky Harvey on December 7, 1974 and she survives.
Mark loved coaching. He began his coaching career in 1980 coaching softball and football. He had previously worked as a coal miner, fireman, and teacher's aide. He loved to fish and spend time with his grandchildren, and was a member of Emmaus Road Baptist Church, Ewing, IL.
Surviving relatives include his wife, Becky Harben, Benton, IL, three daughters, Niki Jones and husband Jeremy, Benton, IL, Jamie Wilson and husband Travis, Cadiz, KY, Marci Tarlton and husband Jeff, Marion, IL, five grandchildren, Carly and Brant Wilson, both of Cadiz, KY, Drew and Sarah Jones, both of Benton, IL, and Abram Tarlton, Marion, IL, his mother, Lodean Lemons and husband Dick, Benton, IL, a sister, Jackie Willis and husband John, Benton, IL, his mother-in-law, Lucille Harvey, Benton, IL, and several nieces and nephews.
Mr. Harben was preceded in death by his father.
Visitation will be from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Monday, June 21, 2010 at the Benton Civic Center, Benton, IL. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Tuesday at the Benton Civic Center with Rev. Marty Ellsworth officiating. Burial will be in the Masonic and Odd Fellows Cemetery, Benton, IL. Hobbs-Johnson Funeral Home, Benton, IL is in charge of arrangements.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Emmaus Road Baptist Church Building Fund, and will be accepted at the civic center.
---
Benton Evening News Article:
Just hours before his death, Benton assistant coach Mark Harben was on the computer looking up defensive formations for the upcoming season.
"He was finding ways to make our kids better," said Jeremy Clodfelder, head coach of the Benton Rangers football team. "He was very, very dedicated to our program.
"Mark was in the weight room every single day. He loved the kids, he loved the game and he was always looking for ways to make us better," Clodfelder said. "He was a Benton Ranger. He had played football when he was in high school. He took a lot of pride in this program."
Harben, 54, passed away in his hotel room Saturday morning in Rantoul — where he and members of the Benton coaching staff and team were participating in the Rangers' annual football camp.
Harben's obituary can be found on page 5 of today's edition.
"We had started football camp at ‘Camp Rantoul' the day before, and we were really, really getting after it," said Clodfelder, noting that players and coaches had also toured Memorial Stadium at the University of Illinois.
After coaches learned of Harben's death, football players were removed from their hotel rooms and taken to a conference room, where Clodfelder delivered the news.
"There's no manual for this — nothing that prepares you for something like this. The kids didn't have a clue what had happened. I'm sure some of them thought they might be in trouble," Clodfelder said. "It was hard to break that news to them. They were shocked, obviously, as much as the coaches were.
"These are 14- to 17- and 18-year-old young men, and for many of them, this is the first time they have ever dealt with their own mortality."
Clodfelder said the coaching staff originally let the players decide whether to remain at camp.
"Our kids chose to stay at the camp," he said, "but then we decided we were going to get a chartered bus and we were going home."
The coach praised the Peoria Charter company, as well as members of the coaching staff and the Benton Consolidated High School administration.
"It was unbelievable: The bus company had a bus there within an hour," Clodfelder said. "The other coaches at camp were unbelievable, and the administration was 100-percent supportive through this whole process."
Character coach Bob Pankey and school board president Mark Minor were among those who spoke to the Rangers when they arrived at Tabor Field Saturday afternoon, Clodfelder said.
Harben began his coaching career in 1980, coaching softball and football, and had served as an assistant football coach at BCHS for the past several years. He had previously worked as a coal miner, fireman and teacher's aide.
He and Mike Reed served as coaches of the Benton Rangerettes softball team earlier this decade; prior to that, Harben had been a volunteer assistant coach.
Former pitcher Stephanie (Genisio) Stayton remembers Harben as someone who was "always there."
"He never missed a game," said Stayton, who graduated from BCHS in 1999 and earned a scholarship to play softball for Shawnee Community College. "I saw him recently at the park for a high school game — he was always there. He was really a devoted person.
"He would offer constructive criticism; he was there to get that potential out of all players. He was there on Sundays, for open gym, on weekends, early mornings — he would come in and work with us at whatever time we said," Stayton said.
What meant most to her, however, was that Harben attended her signing with Shawnee.
"He wasn't even officially my coach, but he told me he wouldn't have missed it for the world," Stayton said. "He was my No. 1 coach ... I can't say enough good things about him."
Harben's three daughters — Niki, Jamie and Marci — also played softball.
"His daughters — he talked about them all the time with me. And his wife and his grandkids," Clodfelder said. "His wife, Becky, is a tremendously strong person."
The coach said he is knows "the grieving process is going to continue" for Harben's family and friends, along with the Benton football players and coaching staff.
"We have the visitation on Monday and the funeral on Tuesday, and then we will resume our workouts on Wednesday," he said. "I want the kids to know that it's going to be OK to grieve, it's OK to cry. They've not had a lot of time, yet, to grieve."
He said he also expects to use Harben's hard work and dedication as inspiration for the Benton players.
"At the end of the day, Mark Harben would want us to use this as a rallying point," Clodfelder said. "In my faith, in knowing Mark for the past couple of years, I know he would want this to bring us closer as a football team, a football family. And I will use 6-19 (June 19, the date of Harben's death) as a rally cry.
"As a team, we will have times of adversity, but if we rally around what happened on June 19 ... we got through that, and there is nothing about this game of football that we won't be able to get through."
Mark A. Harben, 54, of Benton, IL, died at 8:05 a.m. Saturday, June 19, 2010 in Rantoul, IL.
Mr. Harben was born on July 21, 1955 in Benton, IL, the son of Donald Jack Harben and Lodean (Rhine) Lemons. He married the former Becky Harvey on December 7, 1974 and she survives.
Mark loved coaching. He began his coaching career in 1980 coaching softball and football. He had previously worked as a coal miner, fireman, and teacher's aide. He loved to fish and spend time with his grandchildren, and was a member of Emmaus Road Baptist Church, Ewing, IL.
Surviving relatives include his wife, Becky Harben, Benton, IL, three daughters, Niki Jones and husband Jeremy, Benton, IL, Jamie Wilson and husband Travis, Cadiz, KY, Marci Tarlton and husband Jeff, Marion, IL, five grandchildren, Carly and Brant Wilson, both of Cadiz, KY, Drew and Sarah Jones, both of Benton, IL, and Abram Tarlton, Marion, IL, his mother, Lodean Lemons and husband Dick, Benton, IL, a sister, Jackie Willis and husband John, Benton, IL, his mother-in-law, Lucille Harvey, Benton, IL, and several nieces and nephews.
Mr. Harben was preceded in death by his father.
Visitation will be from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Monday, June 21, 2010 at the Benton Civic Center, Benton, IL. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Tuesday at the Benton Civic Center with Rev. Marty Ellsworth officiating. Burial will be in the Masonic and Odd Fellows Cemetery, Benton, IL. Hobbs-Johnson Funeral Home, Benton, IL is in charge of arrangements.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Emmaus Road Baptist Church Building Fund, and will be accepted at the civic center.
---
Benton Evening News Article:
Just hours before his death, Benton assistant coach Mark Harben was on the computer looking up defensive formations for the upcoming season.
"He was finding ways to make our kids better," said Jeremy Clodfelder, head coach of the Benton Rangers football team. "He was very, very dedicated to our program.
"Mark was in the weight room every single day. He loved the kids, he loved the game and he was always looking for ways to make us better," Clodfelder said. "He was a Benton Ranger. He had played football when he was in high school. He took a lot of pride in this program."
Harben, 54, passed away in his hotel room Saturday morning in Rantoul — where he and members of the Benton coaching staff and team were participating in the Rangers' annual football camp.
Harben's obituary can be found on page 5 of today's edition.
"We had started football camp at ‘Camp Rantoul' the day before, and we were really, really getting after it," said Clodfelder, noting that players and coaches had also toured Memorial Stadium at the University of Illinois.
After coaches learned of Harben's death, football players were removed from their hotel rooms and taken to a conference room, where Clodfelder delivered the news.
"There's no manual for this — nothing that prepares you for something like this. The kids didn't have a clue what had happened. I'm sure some of them thought they might be in trouble," Clodfelder said. "It was hard to break that news to them. They were shocked, obviously, as much as the coaches were.
"These are 14- to 17- and 18-year-old young men, and for many of them, this is the first time they have ever dealt with their own mortality."
Clodfelder said the coaching staff originally let the players decide whether to remain at camp.
"Our kids chose to stay at the camp," he said, "but then we decided we were going to get a chartered bus and we were going home."
The coach praised the Peoria Charter company, as well as members of the coaching staff and the Benton Consolidated High School administration.
"It was unbelievable: The bus company had a bus there within an hour," Clodfelder said. "The other coaches at camp were unbelievable, and the administration was 100-percent supportive through this whole process."
Character coach Bob Pankey and school board president Mark Minor were among those who spoke to the Rangers when they arrived at Tabor Field Saturday afternoon, Clodfelder said.
Harben began his coaching career in 1980, coaching softball and football, and had served as an assistant football coach at BCHS for the past several years. He had previously worked as a coal miner, fireman and teacher's aide.
He and Mike Reed served as coaches of the Benton Rangerettes softball team earlier this decade; prior to that, Harben had been a volunteer assistant coach.
Former pitcher Stephanie (Genisio) Stayton remembers Harben as someone who was "always there."
"He never missed a game," said Stayton, who graduated from BCHS in 1999 and earned a scholarship to play softball for Shawnee Community College. "I saw him recently at the park for a high school game — he was always there. He was really a devoted person.
"He would offer constructive criticism; he was there to get that potential out of all players. He was there on Sundays, for open gym, on weekends, early mornings — he would come in and work with us at whatever time we said," Stayton said.
What meant most to her, however, was that Harben attended her signing with Shawnee.
"He wasn't even officially my coach, but he told me he wouldn't have missed it for the world," Stayton said. "He was my No. 1 coach ... I can't say enough good things about him."
Harben's three daughters — Niki, Jamie and Marci — also played softball.
"His daughters — he talked about them all the time with me. And his wife and his grandkids," Clodfelder said. "His wife, Becky, is a tremendously strong person."
The coach said he is knows "the grieving process is going to continue" for Harben's family and friends, along with the Benton football players and coaching staff.
"We have the visitation on Monday and the funeral on Tuesday, and then we will resume our workouts on Wednesday," he said. "I want the kids to know that it's going to be OK to grieve, it's OK to cry. They've not had a lot of time, yet, to grieve."
He said he also expects to use Harben's hard work and dedication as inspiration for the Benton players.
"At the end of the day, Mark Harben would want us to use this as a rallying point," Clodfelder said. "In my faith, in knowing Mark for the past couple of years, I know he would want this to bring us closer as a football team, a football family. And I will use 6-19 (June 19, the date of Harben's death) as a rally cry.
"As a team, we will have times of adversity, but if we rally around what happened on June 19 ... we got through that, and there is nothing about this game of football that we won't be able to get through."
Mr. Harben was born on July 21, 1955 in Benton, IL, the son of Donald Jack Harben and Lodean (Rhine) Lemons. He married the former Becky Harvey on December 7, 1974 and she survives.
Mark loved coaching. He began his coaching career in 1980 coaching softball and football. He had previously worked as a coal miner, fireman, and teacher's aide. He loved to fish and spend time with his grandchildren, and was a member of Emmaus Road Baptist Church, Ewing, IL.
Surviving relatives include his wife, Becky Harben, Benton, IL, three daughters, Niki Jones and husband Jeremy, Benton, IL, Jamie Wilson and husband Travis, Cadiz, KY, Marci Tarlton and husband Jeff, Marion, IL, five grandchildren, Carly and Brant Wilson, both of Cadiz, KY, Drew and Sarah Jones, both of Benton, IL, and Abram Tarlton, Marion, IL, his mother, Lodean Lemons and husband Dick, Benton, IL, a sister, Jackie Willis and husband John, Benton, IL, his mother-in-law, Lucille Harvey, Benton, IL, and several nieces and nephews.
Mr. Harben was preceded in death by his father.
Visitation will be from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Monday, June 21, 2010 at the Benton Civic Center, Benton, IL. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Tuesday at the Benton Civic Center with Rev. Marty Ellsworth officiating. Burial will be in the Masonic and Odd Fellows Cemetery, Benton, IL. Hobbs-Johnson Funeral Home, Benton, IL is in charge of arrangements.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Emmaus Road Baptist Church Building Fund, and will be accepted at the civic center.
---
Benton Evening News Article:
Just hours before his death, Benton assistant coach Mark Harben was on the computer looking up defensive formations for the upcoming season.
"He was finding ways to make our kids better," said Jeremy Clodfelder, head coach of the Benton Rangers football team. "He was very, very dedicated to our program.
"Mark was in the weight room every single day. He loved the kids, he loved the game and he was always looking for ways to make us better," Clodfelder said. "He was a Benton Ranger. He had played football when he was in high school. He took a lot of pride in this program."
Harben, 54, passed away in his hotel room Saturday morning in Rantoul — where he and members of the Benton coaching staff and team were participating in the Rangers' annual football camp.
Harben's obituary can be found on page 5 of today's edition.
"We had started football camp at ‘Camp Rantoul' the day before, and we were really, really getting after it," said Clodfelder, noting that players and coaches had also toured Memorial Stadium at the University of Illinois.
After coaches learned of Harben's death, football players were removed from their hotel rooms and taken to a conference room, where Clodfelder delivered the news.
"There's no manual for this — nothing that prepares you for something like this. The kids didn't have a clue what had happened. I'm sure some of them thought they might be in trouble," Clodfelder said. "It was hard to break that news to them. They were shocked, obviously, as much as the coaches were.
"These are 14- to 17- and 18-year-old young men, and for many of them, this is the first time they have ever dealt with their own mortality."
Clodfelder said the coaching staff originally let the players decide whether to remain at camp.
"Our kids chose to stay at the camp," he said, "but then we decided we were going to get a chartered bus and we were going home."
The coach praised the Peoria Charter company, as well as members of the coaching staff and the Benton Consolidated High School administration.
"It was unbelievable: The bus company had a bus there within an hour," Clodfelder said. "The other coaches at camp were unbelievable, and the administration was 100-percent supportive through this whole process."
Character coach Bob Pankey and school board president Mark Minor were among those who spoke to the Rangers when they arrived at Tabor Field Saturday afternoon, Clodfelder said.
Harben began his coaching career in 1980, coaching softball and football, and had served as an assistant football coach at BCHS for the past several years. He had previously worked as a coal miner, fireman and teacher's aide.
He and Mike Reed served as coaches of the Benton Rangerettes softball team earlier this decade; prior to that, Harben had been a volunteer assistant coach.
Former pitcher Stephanie (Genisio) Stayton remembers Harben as someone who was "always there."
"He never missed a game," said Stayton, who graduated from BCHS in 1999 and earned a scholarship to play softball for Shawnee Community College. "I saw him recently at the park for a high school game — he was always there. He was really a devoted person.
"He would offer constructive criticism; he was there to get that potential out of all players. He was there on Sundays, for open gym, on weekends, early mornings — he would come in and work with us at whatever time we said," Stayton said.
What meant most to her, however, was that Harben attended her signing with Shawnee.
"He wasn't even officially my coach, but he told me he wouldn't have missed it for the world," Stayton said. "He was my No. 1 coach ... I can't say enough good things about him."
Harben's three daughters — Niki, Jamie and Marci — also played softball.
"His daughters — he talked about them all the time with me. And his wife and his grandkids," Clodfelder said. "His wife, Becky, is a tremendously strong person."
The coach said he is knows "the grieving process is going to continue" for Harben's family and friends, along with the Benton football players and coaching staff.
"We have the visitation on Monday and the funeral on Tuesday, and then we will resume our workouts on Wednesday," he said. "I want the kids to know that it's going to be OK to grieve, it's OK to cry. They've not had a lot of time, yet, to grieve."
He said he also expects to use Harben's hard work and dedication as inspiration for the Benton players.
"At the end of the day, Mark Harben would want us to use this as a rallying point," Clodfelder said. "In my faith, in knowing Mark for the past couple of years, I know he would want this to bring us closer as a football team, a football family. And I will use 6-19 (June 19, the date of Harben's death) as a rally cry.
"As a team, we will have times of adversity, but if we rally around what happened on June 19 ... we got through that, and there is nothing about this game of football that we won't be able to get through."
